*I'm gonna stop doing the thanks for favoriting and following. It's not because I don't appreciate it or anything; it's just too time consuming to keep track of who's new and who's not. BTW I can't find out how to do linebreaks. :( They changed it since last time. Last chapter there was supposed to be a break before Cia calls "Volga! I'm back!" But it didn't go through. Sorry if that transition (or lack of) was distracting.)
Link sat in the middle of the spring with Epona, waiting for Ilia to show. She gave him a lot of flak for getting Epona the slightest injury, but she could keep him waiting for hours.
He wasn't really sure why he kept coming back to Ordon in the first place. He liked visiting, of course, but everyone would make him stay for a few days. They said, "Oh, you must be tired. Stay a while!" The problem was, being in Ordon made him tired.
He didn't want to play with the kids anymore. He didn't want to deal with Ilia spontaneously taking Epona. And he definitely didn't want to help babysit Uli's new baby. Again.
He'd spent a while attempting to fix the Mirror of Twilight, but his determination faded away in ten minutes. While he had been able to find some sizable shards in the sand, about the size of his palm, most of the Mirror had disintegrated. It basically killed any ambition he had for the time being.
He had the shards in a small leather pouch hanging from his belt. Why did he keep them? He wasn't sure. Perhaps it was just for safekeeping.
Or maybe it was so he'd feel closer to Midna. He wouldn't deny it; he missed her. He'd even settle for the Midna when they first met. The one who would call him a servant and order him around. Honestly, he much preferred her in her imp form that her true one. Not that there was anything wrong with her true form, it's just her as an imp is a lot more manageable to travel with.
He found himself beginning to smile as he thought about what it would be like to travel with her out of a cursed form. She'd probably end up getting tired of walking and command him to carry her on his back like he did when he was a wolf.
His smile turned into a frown as his hand unconsciously wandered to one of the pockets on his belt. In that was the Shadow Crystal. Midna never took it with her to the Twilight Realm, so it was left in Link's possession. He had it with him since Midna left seven months ago. He didn't turn into a beast all that often these days, but the more he did, the more used to the pain he got. The transition was by no means smooth, but it was becoming more bearable.
The only issue with his transformations is that the more he went into wolf form, the more he and the wolf became one, in a way. His senses of smell and hearing had become sharper in human form. His eyesight was also much sharper, making him able to spot the most well-hidden enemy. His enhanced senses were indeed helpful, but whenever Uli's baby began to cry while he watched her, he felt like his ears were going to bleed. Even the laughter and screams of Ordon's children were becoming unbearable. In fact, in the distance, he could hear them now all the way from the spring.
"TALO, YOU BRAT!" Beth shouted from a mile away.
Her screaming mixed in with the surprised cries of the goats and Talo's arguing made Link's hands fly to his ears and press against them. He grit his teeth, not wanting to barge into town and make a scene about how some people can't stand so much noise.
Luckily, the shouting died down within a minute. Link let out a sigh of relief. Rusl must've broken up the fight. Usually the arguments went on for at least ten minutes of agonizing torture. This time he was lucky.
"Children can be quite annoying, can't they?" a woman's voice asked next to him.
Link looked up at her without turning his head. She was dressed provocatively and held some sort of staff in her hands. She sat down leisurely next to him in the center of the shallow water. Epona stomped in protest a few times, but Link reached up and patted her side to calm her.
"That doesn't make them bad kids," Link defended in his usual monotone.
"True," the woman replied. "…You are Link, correct? I have an offer for you."
Link finally looked her in the eye. "First, let me ask you something. Who are you? You don't look like you're around here." He motioned to her clothes.
"Oh, well, I am and I'm not at the same time," she tried to explain. "My name is Cia. I'm from a parallel dimension of sorts to your own land of Hyrule. In my world, Zelda is not the benevolent princess you know. Instead, she has become possessed by greed. She has taken the Triforce as her own when it was my job to guard it."
She continued on about how Zelda had cursed her magic and soul and about her role as Guardian of Time. Link had his chin resting on his hand the whole time, his expression unreadable.
"And so you want me to help," he said once she was done. "I'm not sure if I could bring myself to go against an entire army by myself. I could never win."
"It's okay. I have other help, so you won't be going against anyone alone. And," Cia explained, placing a hand on Link's shoulder. "I understand how hard it must be to have to fight against your princess, parallel universe or not. So I've decided to offer a little incentive."
A simple black bracelet with red marking similar to those of the Twili appeared in her hand. She put it on Link's palm as he studied it.
"It will allow you to travel to the Twilight Realm whenever you please," Cia told him. "Of course, I'll have to give you yours after we finish a few tasks."
Link cocked his head curiously. "Are you saying the others you recruited got their 'incentives' right away?"
Cia shrugged a shoulder. "Only one, but that's only because it will help him fight better. That's the only reason why. But did you hear what I said?" She pressed the bracelet into his hands. "You'll be able to go to the Twilight Realm. You'll be able to see Midna again."
Link's eyes widened in realization. "You mean I can…?" His voice faded before he could finish his sentence. He stared at his offer with a mix of joy and skepticism. "But what can I do to repay you?"
The bracelet vanished as Cia said, "Simply help me win the Triforce back and defeat the princess. And, Link, while you're with me and my little army, I'll promise you'll never feel lonely or different ever again. I swear it."
Link's expression dimmed at the mention of his loneliness. Cia must've seen it as the Guardian of Time. Ilia and the others treated him differently now. He wouldn't get a lecture for sleeping in. He wasn't encouraged to see the world and was rather told to stay in one place. It was as if he was in a parallel world himself. The only enjoyable company he ever got nowadays was from Zelda.
Zelda seemed to like him as much as he liked her. At her coronation, she made sure Link was at her side at all times. She pulled him away when girls tried to flirt with him. Perhaps she knew how difficult it was for him to respond to such things. She was so sweet, always thinking of him.
And when he walked into her throne room unannounced, as she told him he would need no invitation, her tired eyes would fill with joy. She'd run up to hug him and he'd get all flustered, not thinking a queen should be so friendly towards someone of his low social status, hero or not.
Cia must've been able to tell he was thinking about the queen from the content smile he was suddenly wearing.
"You know, Link," she said suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I'm sure Zelda means a lot to you here. But she's wreaking havoc in my land. I need someone to stop it. You're the only one who can."
His frown returned at her words. He could never imagine an evil Zelda, grinning wickedly and having all parts of the Triforce on her hand.
"Cia…" Link met her determined gaze with a worried one. "If there really is an evil Zelda in your world, does that mean there's an evil me too?"
His keen eyes caught Cia recoil a bit. The action was barely noticeable, but still there. "I'm sure there is," she answered in a dark tone. "But he's not with Zelda. She may want him to join her, actually. We must hurry before she convinces him."
Link nodded, his gaze fixated on the water in front of him. "I see," was his short reply.
"So will you help me?" Cia asked after a full minute of tense silence.
After what seemed like an eternity, Link looked at her with a gentle smile. "I don't see how I couldn't."
"You will?" Cia gasped happily. "Oh, thank you! You were the last person I needed to get to join me. I'm sure we'll be powerful enough now. You're so kind!"
Link shrugged a shoulder. "It's a character flaw," he laughed.
He saw Cia's cheeks turn red. "Y-Yes. Um, let's not waste another moment." She summoned a portal in front of them and stood up, Link following suit. "I'll introduce everyone."
They both jumped in surprise as Epona whinnied and reared.
"Oh! She scared me," Cia giggled, placing a hand over her heart. "I forgot she was there."
"That's not like you to be so quiet," Link commented as he stroked his horse's mane. "I'll go tie her up next to my house. Then we can go, okay?"
Cia groaned impatiently. "Fine."
*I know, weird place to end the chapter, but I couldn't find a good place to stop. I absolutely adore TP Link, by the way. He'd voiced by one of my favorite voice actors, he has my favorite design, and he has my favorite companion. And AMaeJay says you're their favorite~.
TP Link: *blushes* Well…
OoT: What do you expect? He gets his handsomeness from me. :)
TP Link is my favorite too, but he's so hard to write! XD He's so depressed. (I have depression. It suuuuuuuucks. 0_0') OoT/MM Link is the easiest to write for and SS Link is somewhere in the middle, depending on the situation and his mood. So, have you noticed something about their personalities?
I based them all on their games! TP is mature, subdued, and depressing (but not psychedelic depressing like MM); MM is twisted, psychedelic, and unsettling (a setting which has effected Link); and SS is a lot more upbeat and innocent. So what did you guys think? Which Link do you want to see the most of? Trust me, they'll each have their own important role in this plot… ;)
k bye.*